System and method for computing a blind checksum in a host ethernet adapter (HEA)

A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for computing a blind checksum in a host Ethernet adapter (HEA), the programming instructions comprising:

• receiving a packet in the HEA;
• determining whether the packet is in Internet protocol version four (IPv4);
• computing by the HEA, if the packet is not in IPv4, the checksum of the packet;
• determining, if the packet is in IPv4, whether the packet is in transmission control protocol (TCP) or user datagram protocol (UDP);
• attaching, if the packet is in IPv4 and not in either of TCP or UDP, a pseudo-header to the packet;
• and
• computing by the HEA, if the packet is in IPv4 and not in either of TCP or UDP, the checksum of the packet based on the pseudo-header and the IPv4 standard.